As many of you know, I set out last year to prove that I could not only survive, but make a decent life for myself by being who I am and using my natural skills without having to prostitute myself to bullies, thieves, liars, and abusers.....looks like I was wrong.
I apologize for not staying up to date with this section of my blog. I started a third job and my blogging efforts have mostly been devoted to other things (like atheism and penises, though not usually at the same time). Allow me to bring everyone up to speed.
For those that don't know me, I'm a huge animal lover. Through a friend, I met a couple that was runs a small pet boutique that carries clothes, accessories, and high end foods for pets. Customers would bring pets in and let them try things on and I'd get to spoil them with treats for a little bit. The hours were perfect for me and it paid just enough to cover the majority of my living expenses.
I was honestly thrilled. This wasn't like the retail I had worked in the past. The owners were people who've worked hard for a living themselves, were kind hearted, generous, intelligent and were genuine animal lovers. I enjoyed the job. Sure, some customers were a pain, but I never expressed that because it goes with the territory. I loved getting to know them and their pets. It was a great way to get my animal love fix in a few times a week and to make pretty decent money at it too.
I was actually really happy. I thought I had found a niche. A perfect job to fund my life while I pursue my real dreams. Did I intend to work there forever? Probably not, but I figured it would be a long term gig that would really allow me to pefect my art. Enter uppity bitch with an over inflated sense of entitlement.
For those that don't have dogs or just plain haven't noticed, a lot of time dog food comes in rather large, heavy bags, usually starting at about 30lbs. I work out, 30 lbs isn't so heavy, but this is a small shop, so several types of food can be mixed in together and the 30lb bag someone might want might be lodged under five other 30lb bags, making it sometimes difficult to find product info.
Naturally, this particular customer wanted price info for the bag on the bottom. I tried my best to wrestle it out. I apologized that it was taking a while to get it out and that I would look in the computer for the price instead. When I searched for the item in the computer, I couldn't find it. I said, "Oh...hmm...I can't seem to find it. Let me try a few different search terms."
I still couldn't find it, so I went back to wrestling the bag out from under the other four or five heavy bags. I was visibly struggling with it and said, "Sorry it's taking a while, these can be heavy." I finally got her bag out and carried it to the counter for her and rang her up.
Somehow, in her uppity bitch brain, that became, "That's too heavy. I can't get it out. I can't find it in the system. I can't help you." I honestly have NO idea how it could have come across that way. I have NEVER told a customer that I couldn't help them, or if I couldn't, I'd call someone who could.
She called my boss to inform him of her incredibly distorted version of the event. Apparently, I said those things to her twice.....although I actually never said them even once. I have NEVER told a customer I couldn't help them. At the very worst, I've told them, "I don't know, but let me get your info and I'll ask my boss and then I'll call you back. Would that be okay?"
...which, by the way, is something the bosses constantly encouraged me to do if I didn't know how to handle a certain situation. I don't know who it was that taught me this, but somehow in life, I got the impression that people mean things that they tell you over and over.
So, of course, there were situations I sometimes didn't know how to handle, but that's always to be expected with a new employee. I always did my best to find out what to do even if I didn't know and I think as a new employee, I should be given a little extra license to do so. Did I mention that I never had the opportunity to graduate from "new employee?" I was fired even as a new employee. I feel as if I was fired FOR BEING a new employee; for not having a chip implanted into my brain that taught me all vital info about any and every possible situation.
I was hired right before Christmas and my first day "on my own" was December 26. So, I have had slightly over a month to learn the ropes and despite having brought in several new customers, having organized the store so that it doesn't always look like a hurricane took over, and and having bent over backwards for customers EVERY SINGLE DAY, I guess a month is too long a time to go without knowing everything. The owners gave me a modest THREE DAYS of training before completely throwing me to the wolves. At the time, I thought it was adequate because they seemed to trust me, support me and have my back. I was wrong about that too.
I was told on Wednesday that I would be "talked to" on Friday. I knew "talked to" meant "fired," but I kept my hopes up. So, this morning, as soon as I came in, my boss was there, dressed formally, which is rare; not a good sign. So he hast me down and pretty immediately told me that it "wasn't working out." He told me vaguely about the above customer complaint and didn't ask my side of the story at all. He did, however, tell me that he talked to that customer and the customer was no longer angry and would be returning to the store. Shortly after, he contradicted himself by saying, "Losing a customer in a business this small is something that we can't have, no matter what."
I felt that there must have been SEVERAL other issues to make him come to that conclusion and asked if I could please know what they were. He mentioned another customer "issue" that had taken place, but I had told him about it and apologized and tried to resolve it already. In this case, the customer asked me a question I didn't know the answer to, so I asked if I could take her info and call her right back, she became instantly agitated with me, told me, "Everyone else that's ever worked there knows," what she's talking about. She would not let me take her info, find the answer, and call her back. How that is bad service on my part, I don't know. Again, he didn't want to hear my side of it because his mind was made up.
He ended the narrative with one of those socially acceptable lies that people find the necessity to tell, that in my view are just plan cruel, "We did enjoy having you for the short time you were here, for what it's worth."
"Which is nothing," I couldn't help but reply. Admittedly unprofessional though it was, it was highly appropriate for the situation. What harm could be done? No one has to know I worked there. It was such a short time that I won't even pollute my resume with it. Besides, I'm not really worried about getting a reference from people who threw me into a maelstrom with a paddle boat and assured me I'd survive and they'd help, but let me drown immediately.
Two things hurt me most. One is that I DID try my best with that job and I know I made mistakes, but when I did, I admitted it and did my best to resolve them immediately. I DID work very hard there and I brought in new customers, sold people a lot of things because I genuinely wanted to help them (I didn't get bonuses or commission) and make them happy. I DID please most of the customers; at least once a day someone told me, "Thank you. You've been very helpful." I went out of my way to tell people about the business and to promote the business, even without being asked. If it wasn't busy in the store, which is most of the time, there were I would often go outside and catch people walking their dogs, invite them in, tell them about the store, and end up recommending them something that they would purchase or would actually come back a few days later and purchase. What kind of part time retail associate is going to do all of that? A damn rare, damn good one. Seriously, tell me where you will find an employee not only willing to do those things, but that does them regularly without being asked? Yet, all that (and then some) still wasn't good enough.
Two, and more painful, the sociopathic minority of people who are completely self absorbed, who have lost touch with reality, who never think about the struggles of others, who never realize how good their lives are, who thrive off of being petty, tiny, life-ruining motherfuckers have now been given just one more bit of justification in being such. They think they can get away with being assholes because the world bends over backwards to prove to them that they can. I suppose I can't complain because I'm guilty of serving them as well.
I don't honestly know where this leaves me. I want to say, "Hey, it's just one job, it's just a handful of assholes. Most people aren't that unreasonable. Tomorrow is another day and that if this didn't work, something else will. I don't have to sell myself mind, body and soul to the hate-filled handful." The problem is, the hate-filled handful that does see life that way are the ones that are on top of the world. They control everything because they don't have moral compasses and they don't mind squashing people's spirits like ants so long as they serve themselves. That's how they get ahead. No one ever teaches them otherwise because anyone who tries gets vaporized. Tragically, because we all need to eat and they seem to be the ones with all the food, even if is is laced with diazinon, so we're all just too happy to be ants.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Monday, December 26, 2011
Well, FECK
Well, ViewsHound, which was the main forum for my writing...you know, one that paid and one that people actually read, has closed. Sooooooo instead of thousands of people reasing my work....ZEROES of them will. I'm pretty bummed.
Combined with what's been happening with my other business, I'm worried that this quest to find a better life for myself is a joke. DEPRESSED!
Combined with what's been happening with my other business, I'm worried that this quest to find a better life for myself is a joke. DEPRESSED!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Resumes n stuff
There are very few jobs that you can get without submitting a resume unless you work for your parents or something.
This company claims to create your resume and if you don't get a job within 60 days, you get your money back +$50.
No, I'm not a representative of the site and I'm not getting any money from this. A dear friend of mine recommended it to me. She has used it twice before, once when they weren't successful, so she made $50, and once where they were successful and she got a new job. I haven't tried it because I'm cooking something up which I'll reveal later when it's the right time.
This company claims to create your resume and if you don't get a job within 60 days, you get your money back +$50.
No, I'm not a representative of the site and I'm not getting any money from this. A dear friend of mine recommended it to me. She has used it twice before, once when they weren't successful, so she made $50, and once where they were successful and she got a new job. I haven't tried it because I'm cooking something up which I'll reveal later when it's the right time.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Two ways to make money writing
You're probably not going to get rich writing for a living, but here are two places I've written for. I've actually been able to pay a few bills with money I've earned from these two sources. If you have a similar goal as mine of becoming your own boss and deriving income from many sources, these are great ways to do so. I am, in no way, affiliated with these sites or am I earning referral bonuses by recommending them to you.
Textbroker.com:
You'll be commissioned to write ad copy, reviews, articles, blurbs, etc. You submit a first piece and you are given a star rating anywhere from 1 to 5. The original rating dictates how much you make per word. Supposedly, you can increase or decrease your star rating after you write several pieces. Be forewarned, the average is a penny a word. Still, it's better than nothing per word.
There is a database of available work, or "orders," organized by the client's requested topic area and star rating. You can write for any level below yours. For example, if you have a 5-star rating, you can write for all star levels. If you have a 3-star level, you can write 2-star and 1-star articles. There are also chances to earn more than your star rating dictates if you are willing and able to write about very specific topics as part of a "team order." You must apply for these positions and they often take a lot of research and/or inside knowledge. The highest price I've seen listed is 7¢/word and that's extremely rare. The average is still 1¢-2¢.
Pros: You can get some experience in copy writing. You can work whenever you want. It's possible you can be given direct orders, meant specifically for you.
Cons: Low pay and availability. If you're a 3-star writer or below, there might not be much commissioned work for you. Most writers are rated 2-star or 3-star. Plus, with higher star writers being able to write at those levels as well, you're really scratching and biting for work.
Viewshound.com:
You can submit articles or creative pieces about almost any topic and you're eligible for a daily prize. There's Gold - $50, Silver - $30, Bronze - $20 and Photo of the Day - $10. There is no voting system (though they temporarily had an Author Prize of $10 based on votes on top of the regular prizes). How often you win really depends on how well you write. Having a lot of views, shares, "likes," and comments only affects your chances of winning nominally. All articles are judged by the editors who also award the prizes. Not to toot my own horn but, I win fairly consistently and I usually submit once or twice a week. I've won all of the available prizes at least once (not including the author prize). Last I heard, they are considering setting up a similar system to textbroker.com in addition to the daily prizes, but so far, it has not been enacted.
Pros: You can write about virtually anything that you want. You can submit whenever you want. You can win up to $50/article. You have the chance to win every day you submit something. You can use it to drive traffic to your blog, twitter, youtube, etc. There is no exclusivity policy.
Cons: It takes up to a week for your articles to be approved unless they are genuinely time-sensitive pieces. There is no way to predict how much you'll earn because you never know if you're going to win. You may never win.
Good luck and happy writing!
Textbroker.com:
You'll be commissioned to write ad copy, reviews, articles, blurbs, etc. You submit a first piece and you are given a star rating anywhere from 1 to 5. The original rating dictates how much you make per word. Supposedly, you can increase or decrease your star rating after you write several pieces. Be forewarned, the average is a penny a word. Still, it's better than nothing per word.
There is a database of available work, or "orders," organized by the client's requested topic area and star rating. You can write for any level below yours. For example, if you have a 5-star rating, you can write for all star levels. If you have a 3-star level, you can write 2-star and 1-star articles. There are also chances to earn more than your star rating dictates if you are willing and able to write about very specific topics as part of a "team order." You must apply for these positions and they often take a lot of research and/or inside knowledge. The highest price I've seen listed is 7¢/word and that's extremely rare. The average is still 1¢-2¢.
Pros: You can get some experience in copy writing. You can work whenever you want. It's possible you can be given direct orders, meant specifically for you.
Cons: Low pay and availability. If you're a 3-star writer or below, there might not be much commissioned work for you. Most writers are rated 2-star or 3-star. Plus, with higher star writers being able to write at those levels as well, you're really scratching and biting for work.
Viewshound.com:
You can submit articles or creative pieces about almost any topic and you're eligible for a daily prize. There's Gold - $50, Silver - $30, Bronze - $20 and Photo of the Day - $10. There is no voting system (though they temporarily had an Author Prize of $10 based on votes on top of the regular prizes). How often you win really depends on how well you write. Having a lot of views, shares, "likes," and comments only affects your chances of winning nominally. All articles are judged by the editors who also award the prizes. Not to toot my own horn but, I win fairly consistently and I usually submit once or twice a week. I've won all of the available prizes at least once (not including the author prize). Last I heard, they are considering setting up a similar system to textbroker.com in addition to the daily prizes, but so far, it has not been enacted.
Pros: You can write about virtually anything that you want. You can submit whenever you want. You can win up to $50/article. You have the chance to win every day you submit something. You can use it to drive traffic to your blog, twitter, youtube, etc. There is no exclusivity policy.
Cons: It takes up to a week for your articles to be approved unless they are genuinely time-sensitive pieces. There is no way to predict how much you'll earn because you never know if you're going to win. You may never win.
Good luck and happy writing!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Job entitlement: a never-ending cycle of frustration
Entitlement is probably the single biggest factor that holds us all back as human beings, not just in the job market. Entitlement is a complete lack of gratitude and responsibility. It gives us delusions of grandeur. It makes us pass up opportunities and pass over people because we think we "deserve" something "better."
We all think we understand that life isn't fair and that nothing is guaranteed, but few of us have truly internalized the idea. Usually, at best, it's a polite way to tell someone you don't care about their problems. Then, when it's your turn for "undeserved" unpleasantry, just observe how much it stings when someone employs the same technique on you.
It's time to let go of entitlement. You are not not and never will be entitled to ANYTHING, not clean air, not clean water, not food, not shelter, not friends, not family, not love, not sex, not companionship, not medical care, not land, not education, not health, and certainly not a decent career. If you are lucky enough to have any or all of these things, at any point in life, any or all of them can disappear. When you cling to entitlement, you suffer even more.
When it comes to finding work, many of us have completely self-fabricated ideas about what we "deserve."
"I went to college, I shouldn't have to work for THIS wage."
"I've been in this industry for 20 years, I shouldn't have to do THAT."
"My friend owns the company, why should I do THIS?"
"THAT is a job for losers."
"I used to THIS for $70k, I'm not doing THAT for $30k."
We've all thought and said these things, but have never stopped to put entitlement into the equation. Why shouldn't you have to do this or that? What makes you so special? Other people are just not as awesome as you, so they should have to do it?
If you want to keep all those other things you're lucky to have but are not entitled to, doing a job that is "below" you might be necessary. Once you let go of entitlement, your constant misery of not getting the job you "deserve" will evaporate with it.
Of course, this isn't to steer people to the opposite. No one is asking you to do anything against your base morals. No one is asking you to prostitute yourself out to the point where you'll do anything for money. You're only being asked to change your perspective. You may have to temporarily take something "below you" to help pay your bills, you can still enjoy it in some way.
If you spend the whole time pissing and moaning about how it's beneath you, how much money you used to make, how you never used to have to do stuff like this, first of all, you're just angering yourself. Second, people notice that attitude in your words, your body language and your quality of work. It makes you look bad.
Your superiors will notice and you won't ever get ahead. Plus, you don't know who they know. Sure, it might be a manager at McDonald's, but she might know someone who is a manager at IBM. Do you think YOUR name is the one she'll pass along when her friend tells her, "We really need to hire some people, but we don't want to put out job ads?"
Worse than that, your co-workers will notice. Why is it worse? There are a lot more of them then there are superiors, you don't know who they know, and your very presence will insult them. A job that you think is below you is something that someone else worked very hard to obtain and is proud of, so who are you to spit on their achievement? Don't forget, people who work that hard and maintain a good attitude are likely to succeed. Once again, when they do, do you think your name will be the one that they recommend to anyone?
It's so hard to remember these things when you're suffering, when you've gone through so much loss, and so many of us have. It's reasonable to mope and cry and resent your situation, but that can't go on forever. So many people spend decades stuck in this rut of entitlement-created misery. Some NEVER recover. It's natural to want the best for yourself, but it's foolish to expect it.
If you're stuck in one of these ruts, there is one simple way out: gratitude.
We all think we understand that life isn't fair and that nothing is guaranteed, but few of us have truly internalized the idea. Usually, at best, it's a polite way to tell someone you don't care about their problems. Then, when it's your turn for "undeserved" unpleasantry, just observe how much it stings when someone employs the same technique on you.
It's time to let go of entitlement. You are not not and never will be entitled to ANYTHING, not clean air, not clean water, not food, not shelter, not friends, not family, not love, not sex, not companionship, not medical care, not land, not education, not health, and certainly not a decent career. If you are lucky enough to have any or all of these things, at any point in life, any or all of them can disappear. When you cling to entitlement, you suffer even more.
When it comes to finding work, many of us have completely self-fabricated ideas about what we "deserve."
"I went to college, I shouldn't have to work for THIS wage."
"I've been in this industry for 20 years, I shouldn't have to do THAT."
"My friend owns the company, why should I do THIS?"
"THAT is a job for losers."
"I used to THIS for $70k, I'm not doing THAT for $30k."
We've all thought and said these things, but have never stopped to put entitlement into the equation. Why shouldn't you have to do this or that? What makes you so special? Other people are just not as awesome as you, so they should have to do it?
If you want to keep all those other things you're lucky to have but are not entitled to, doing a job that is "below" you might be necessary. Once you let go of entitlement, your constant misery of not getting the job you "deserve" will evaporate with it.
Of course, this isn't to steer people to the opposite. No one is asking you to do anything against your base morals. No one is asking you to prostitute yourself out to the point where you'll do anything for money. You're only being asked to change your perspective. You may have to temporarily take something "below you" to help pay your bills, you can still enjoy it in some way.
If you spend the whole time pissing and moaning about how it's beneath you, how much money you used to make, how you never used to have to do stuff like this, first of all, you're just angering yourself. Second, people notice that attitude in your words, your body language and your quality of work. It makes you look bad.
Your superiors will notice and you won't ever get ahead. Plus, you don't know who they know. Sure, it might be a manager at McDonald's, but she might know someone who is a manager at IBM. Do you think YOUR name is the one she'll pass along when her friend tells her, "We really need to hire some people, but we don't want to put out job ads?"
Worse than that, your co-workers will notice. Why is it worse? There are a lot more of them then there are superiors, you don't know who they know, and your very presence will insult them. A job that you think is below you is something that someone else worked very hard to obtain and is proud of, so who are you to spit on their achievement? Don't forget, people who work that hard and maintain a good attitude are likely to succeed. Once again, when they do, do you think your name will be the one that they recommend to anyone?
It's so hard to remember these things when you're suffering, when you've gone through so much loss, and so many of us have. It's reasonable to mope and cry and resent your situation, but that can't go on forever. So many people spend decades stuck in this rut of entitlement-created misery. Some NEVER recover. It's natural to want the best for yourself, but it's foolish to expect it.
If you're stuck in one of these ruts, there is one simple way out: gratitude.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Get rich slowly
Here is a site where you can make a few pennies a day. I know, it's not much, but every bit helps!
Instant Cash Sweepstakes
The name sounds like a scam, but I assure you 100% that it's not. It's completely free, you're never charged money at any point, and your email address and personal info aren't sold off to everyone. I've personally used it for a few months now. I wouldn't BS you guys.
You answer really quick little surveys, usually three questions, and you get "prizes" in the form of a few pennies, tickets, and coins. The pennies are real money. The minimum payment is $2, so you can get paid pretty fast. Tickets are used in the daily $50 lotto drawing. Coins are....I dunno. Something about "buying" extra tickets.
You can only do so many surveys at a time. They let you do about five minutes worth and then you have to wait three hours to try again. I'm not sure why they cap it like that, but they do.
Anyway, hopefully you can earn a few cents! :D
Instant Cash Sweepstakes
The name sounds like a scam, but I assure you 100% that it's not. It's completely free, you're never charged money at any point, and your email address and personal info aren't sold off to everyone. I've personally used it for a few months now. I wouldn't BS you guys.
You answer really quick little surveys, usually three questions, and you get "prizes" in the form of a few pennies, tickets, and coins. The pennies are real money. The minimum payment is $2, so you can get paid pretty fast. Tickets are used in the daily $50 lotto drawing. Coins are....I dunno. Something about "buying" extra tickets.
You can only do so many surveys at a time. They let you do about five minutes worth and then you have to wait three hours to try again. I'm not sure why they cap it like that, but they do.
Anyway, hopefully you can earn a few cents! :D
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Forget Wall St., Occupy Pennsylvania Avenue!!
Billionaires don't give a shit about you. Everyone knows that. That's part of why people are angry at them (although the real reason is jealousy). They seem not to care about anyone but themselves, we don't know them personally so we can't say, but they SEEM not to care about anyone else, and because of their unlimited finances, they can change the world to suit themselves, or so we're told.
Before we get any further into the argument, without googling it, can you even name five names that belong to the 1%? I'm not asking so I can call out your hypocrisy (although...), but you need to know who your enemy is, what exactly they're doing wrong, and what exactly they could be doing right. Otherwise, you're shooting without a target. Don't waste your time protesting a cause you don't really know anything about. Honestly, I think a big part of this movement is people who are broke and angry and are looking to the most obvious scapegoat, but not the correct one. So, until you can name five names off the top of your head, what they're doing wrong, what they could be doing right, then shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about. If you're not questioning these things yourself, then you need to go back to work and stop costing the rest of us millions of dollars in property damage and police overtime by protesting a cause you can't even really explain, ok? Otherwise, you're pretty clearly just going to protests hoping to get laid by some hot, hippy chick.
If you have questioned all these things and you really know your stuff, that's great. You should be sharing this information with people. The problem is that you're sharing the wrong information. As we've established, billionaires don't give a crap about us. No one's arguing that. However, there's a huge group of people that vowed to care about us and that we pay to take care of us and they're getting away scott free; and it's not JUST republicans. It's ALL politicians, republican, democrat, independent, whatever. Do you really think that only republicans are being bought off? Please. If you do, you're part of the group that needs to shut the fuck up and go back to work, or at least spend a little time researching public campaign finance.
Why are you not occupying Pennsylvania Avenue? The real problem is that the billionaires have bought off the government, right? I don't think anybody in the 99% would deny that. However, who could blame the billionaires? If you had billions of dollars, wouldn't you use it to change the world in a way you think is best? We all love to sit around and blow ourselves and say things like, "If I had a billion dollars, I'd end world hunger, I'd end war, I'd fund cures for diseases and give money to organic farmers and really make this world a better place!"
Well, this isn't Miss America. You have NO IDEA what you would do if you had a billion dollars because you've never had a billion dollars. I love all these so-called liberals who say it's wrong to judge other people, but then turning around and judging people. Never judge a man til you've walk a mile in his shoes. You've probably never even seen $5000 hand made Italian designer shoes, let alone walked in 'em, so shut the fuck up. You have no idea what your life would be like if you were a billionaire. So, forget that hypothetical bullshit, it's not doing you or anyone else any favors. In fact, it's making you look like a complete jackass. It's like saying, "If I were Lady Gaga, I wouldn't have worn a dress made of beef." Well, how do you know? You're not Lady Gaga.
All that aside, there's another huge problem with the whole movement. Who the fuck do you think you are running around telling people what to do with their money? You're angry because the billionaires buy off the government, so the government blows the billionaires and then uses YOUR money to clean up the stains. In essence, people you don't agree with are telling you how to spend your money. So, who the fuck do you think you are telling anyone else how they should spend their money?
Your anger could not possibly be more misguided. You know billionaires don't care about you, you don't know what it's like to be a billionaire, but you know you can't tell anybody, billionaire or not, how to spend their money. Well, you can tell them, but they're not going to listen.
Politicians, on the other hand, vow to serve the public. They devote their lives to serving the public. They take money from the public, supposedly so they can use it to serve the public. Yet they don't. They serve the 1%. So, who's the whore? The billionaires who offer to pay for dirty deeds, or the politicians who promised you that they'd do good deeds, but are really willing to do all kinds of dirty deeds for the right price?
Billionaires NEVER promised to serve you. Billionaires NEVER claimed to be looking out for your best interest. Billionaires NEVER put America first. You have NO control over billionaires. Billionaire is not an elected office. Who's really lying to you? Who's really responsible? Whose mind do you really have the power to change? Who should you be knocking on their ass for lying about caring for you, taking your money, pissing it away, then lining their pockets with blood money?
Fuck Wall St. Occupy Pennsylvania Avenue!
Before we get any further into the argument, without googling it, can you even name five names that belong to the 1%? I'm not asking so I can call out your hypocrisy (although...), but you need to know who your enemy is, what exactly they're doing wrong, and what exactly they could be doing right. Otherwise, you're shooting without a target. Don't waste your time protesting a cause you don't really know anything about. Honestly, I think a big part of this movement is people who are broke and angry and are looking to the most obvious scapegoat, but not the correct one. So, until you can name five names off the top of your head, what they're doing wrong, what they could be doing right, then shut the fuck up. You don't know what you're talking about. If you're not questioning these things yourself, then you need to go back to work and stop costing the rest of us millions of dollars in property damage and police overtime by protesting a cause you can't even really explain, ok? Otherwise, you're pretty clearly just going to protests hoping to get laid by some hot, hippy chick.
If you have questioned all these things and you really know your stuff, that's great. You should be sharing this information with people. The problem is that you're sharing the wrong information. As we've established, billionaires don't give a crap about us. No one's arguing that. However, there's a huge group of people that vowed to care about us and that we pay to take care of us and they're getting away scott free; and it's not JUST republicans. It's ALL politicians, republican, democrat, independent, whatever. Do you really think that only republicans are being bought off? Please. If you do, you're part of the group that needs to shut the fuck up and go back to work, or at least spend a little time researching public campaign finance.
Why are you not occupying Pennsylvania Avenue? The real problem is that the billionaires have bought off the government, right? I don't think anybody in the 99% would deny that. However, who could blame the billionaires? If you had billions of dollars, wouldn't you use it to change the world in a way you think is best? We all love to sit around and blow ourselves and say things like, "If I had a billion dollars, I'd end world hunger, I'd end war, I'd fund cures for diseases and give money to organic farmers and really make this world a better place!"
Well, this isn't Miss America. You have NO IDEA what you would do if you had a billion dollars because you've never had a billion dollars. I love all these so-called liberals who say it's wrong to judge other people, but then turning around and judging people. Never judge a man til you've walk a mile in his shoes. You've probably never even seen $5000 hand made Italian designer shoes, let alone walked in 'em, so shut the fuck up. You have no idea what your life would be like if you were a billionaire. So, forget that hypothetical bullshit, it's not doing you or anyone else any favors. In fact, it's making you look like a complete jackass. It's like saying, "If I were Lady Gaga, I wouldn't have worn a dress made of beef." Well, how do you know? You're not Lady Gaga.
All that aside, there's another huge problem with the whole movement. Who the fuck do you think you are running around telling people what to do with their money? You're angry because the billionaires buy off the government, so the government blows the billionaires and then uses YOUR money to clean up the stains. In essence, people you don't agree with are telling you how to spend your money. So, who the fuck do you think you are telling anyone else how they should spend their money?
Your anger could not possibly be more misguided. You know billionaires don't care about you, you don't know what it's like to be a billionaire, but you know you can't tell anybody, billionaire or not, how to spend their money. Well, you can tell them, but they're not going to listen.
Politicians, on the other hand, vow to serve the public. They devote their lives to serving the public. They take money from the public, supposedly so they can use it to serve the public. Yet they don't. They serve the 1%. So, who's the whore? The billionaires who offer to pay for dirty deeds, or the politicians who promised you that they'd do good deeds, but are really willing to do all kinds of dirty deeds for the right price?
Billionaires NEVER promised to serve you. Billionaires NEVER claimed to be looking out for your best interest. Billionaires NEVER put America first. You have NO control over billionaires. Billionaire is not an elected office. Who's really lying to you? Who's really responsible? Whose mind do you really have the power to change? Who should you be knocking on their ass for lying about caring for you, taking your money, pissing it away, then lining their pockets with blood money?
Fuck Wall St. Occupy Pennsylvania Avenue!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
No business in show business
A lot of people seek careers in show biz, thinking they belong there. I can't honestly tell you what is truly in your heart, suffice to say our current culture puts emphasis on fame and popularity over talent and intelligence. Sure, we have people who are famous for nothing other than literally sucking cock on camera but those really are few and far between. If you don't have mammoth emotional and mental strength, it's doubtful you can survive show business, even on a community level.
Believe it or not, the arts are FULL of bullies. I sometimes wonder if it's because artists are the ones who often get ganged up on in childhood and we seem to seek some sort of retribution in adulthood. This is not to say that everyone in the arts is a bully or an arse, but if you think show biz is this open, accepting place full of outsiders that will welcome you with open arms, you've got another thing coming. Certain groups and circles of the arts might be that way (luckily MOST of my community is), but as a whole, a LOT of folks in the arts make the absolute worst childhood bully look like Tinkerbell.
Dave Chapelle explained it best on "Inside the Actor's Studio (fast forward to 2:12)."
Exactly. Something is WRONG with Hollywood. You have strong, smart, amazing folks being torn to shreds all the time by LA LA Land.
No, I'm not some celebrity with some kind of authority, but I have been performing on and off since I was four years old. Before venturing into show business, you really have to make sure you know who you are. I think a big part of the 10 year hiatus I took had to deal with that. I'm not in full bloom yet, but I see the work ahead of me. It's scary, but I'm going forward anyway, which is what REAL bravery is. Bravery doesn't mean you're not scared. It means you're scared as hell, but you go on anyway.
If you're not ready, willing and able to make a 100% complete ASS of yourself in front of millions and be seen at your absolute most vulnerable, embarrassing moments by millions, you've got no business in show business. That kind of strength of character is very difficult to achieve.
No, I don't intend to discourage ANYONE from following their dreams. Rather, I intend to encourage everyone to really get to know her/himself. Talk to yourself a lot...constantly. Some people might call that praying, I call it what it really is. Sounds crazy, but it's the best way to know yourself. Besides, with all the hands free mobile devices out there, no one will suspect a thing. Cry when you need to. Laugh when you need to. Scream when you need to. Know yourself inside and out, which is good advice even outside of show biz.
Most important of all: STAY AWAY FROM VICES! Illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, comfort foods, bulimia, laxatives, prostitutes, cigarettes, etc. Those things are for people who can't survive their pain. If you have to rely on that crap now, what are you going to rely on at rock bottom? All you need to survive is what's in your heart, you just have to prepare that heart to be strong and elastic.
Believe it or not, the arts are FULL of bullies. I sometimes wonder if it's because artists are the ones who often get ganged up on in childhood and we seem to seek some sort of retribution in adulthood. This is not to say that everyone in the arts is a bully or an arse, but if you think show biz is this open, accepting place full of outsiders that will welcome you with open arms, you've got another thing coming. Certain groups and circles of the arts might be that way (luckily MOST of my community is), but as a whole, a LOT of folks in the arts make the absolute worst childhood bully look like Tinkerbell.
Dave Chapelle explained it best on "Inside the Actor's Studio (fast forward to 2:12)."
Exactly. Something is WRONG with Hollywood. You have strong, smart, amazing folks being torn to shreds all the time by LA LA Land.
No, I'm not some celebrity with some kind of authority, but I have been performing on and off since I was four years old. Before venturing into show business, you really have to make sure you know who you are. I think a big part of the 10 year hiatus I took had to deal with that. I'm not in full bloom yet, but I see the work ahead of me. It's scary, but I'm going forward anyway, which is what REAL bravery is. Bravery doesn't mean you're not scared. It means you're scared as hell, but you go on anyway.
If you're not ready, willing and able to make a 100% complete ASS of yourself in front of millions and be seen at your absolute most vulnerable, embarrassing moments by millions, you've got no business in show business. That kind of strength of character is very difficult to achieve.
No, I don't intend to discourage ANYONE from following their dreams. Rather, I intend to encourage everyone to really get to know her/himself. Talk to yourself a lot...constantly. Some people might call that praying, I call it what it really is. Sounds crazy, but it's the best way to know yourself. Besides, with all the hands free mobile devices out there, no one will suspect a thing. Cry when you need to. Laugh when you need to. Scream when you need to. Know yourself inside and out, which is good advice even outside of show biz.
Most important of all: STAY AWAY FROM VICES! Illegal drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, comfort foods, bulimia, laxatives, prostitutes, cigarettes, etc. Those things are for people who can't survive their pain. If you have to rely on that crap now, what are you going to rely on at rock bottom? All you need to survive is what's in your heart, you just have to prepare that heart to be strong and elastic.
Look, ma, I'm on TV!
This is going to be kind of an all about Katie post, so those of you looking for advice might not find any here, except to say that SO FAR, following my dream is working pretty spectacularly. I just want to brag about my career progress for a bit.
I'm not sure what everyone's dream jobs are, but mine is the performing arts (second is writing). I don't specify further than that because I want to keep an open mind and heart. Personally, I could see myself as an actress or comedian, but I'm open to any opportunities. As for now, I'm doing quite well.
October is Halloween time! Therefore, there are a lot of chances to work at haunted houses, act in spooky theatre shows, and tell ghost stories. One particular story telling gig that I'm working is called Terror on the Trail where I play a zombie tour guide. I lead people between ghost stories and mess with them on the way. My particular zombie character is a doctor that was killed in a patient revolt. Looks a lil something like this:
Fox 5 Atlanta did a live remote today featuring myself and some of the other zombies. We were really just background entertainment while they had actual interviews with the director of the ghost tour I work on as well as the other ghost tour in Lawrenceville. There were also some paranormal investigators on site that they interviewed in the cemetery while we roamed around in search of yummy brains. Though, I've heard cemeteries aren't usually "haunted" because people are just laid to rest there; they haunt places where something significant happened in their lives, but supposedly, this particular cemetery is "haunted."
Anyway, so, I have three different roles for ghost stories and I've been hired by a haunted house (though have yet to be scheduled, likely b/c my weekends are all taken by ghost tours). So, my bills are covered for October! Not sure how this is going to work in November, but I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Just some bragging...I think I'll be successful if I just keep pushin'.
I'm not sure what everyone's dream jobs are, but mine is the performing arts (second is writing). I don't specify further than that because I want to keep an open mind and heart. Personally, I could see myself as an actress or comedian, but I'm open to any opportunities. As for now, I'm doing quite well.
October is Halloween time! Therefore, there are a lot of chances to work at haunted houses, act in spooky theatre shows, and tell ghost stories. One particular story telling gig that I'm working is called Terror on the Trail where I play a zombie tour guide. I lead people between ghost stories and mess with them on the way. My particular zombie character is a doctor that was killed in a patient revolt. Looks a lil something like this:
Fox 5 Atlanta did a live remote today featuring myself and some of the other zombies. We were really just background entertainment while they had actual interviews with the director of the ghost tour I work on as well as the other ghost tour in Lawrenceville. There were also some paranormal investigators on site that they interviewed in the cemetery while we roamed around in search of yummy brains. Though, I've heard cemeteries aren't usually "haunted" because people are just laid to rest there; they haunt places where something significant happened in their lives, but supposedly, this particular cemetery is "haunted."
Anyway, so, I have three different roles for ghost stories and I've been hired by a haunted house (though have yet to be scheduled, likely b/c my weekends are all taken by ghost tours). So, my bills are covered for October! Not sure how this is going to work in November, but I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Just some bragging...I think I'll be successful if I just keep pushin'.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Stuff=slavery
So often I hear people talking about how much they hate their job situations, but how much the "can't" do anything about it, "because of the money." Aren't you tired of worrying about the money? Aren't you sick of being a slave to low pay, long hours, poor treatment, and this idea that some asshole came up with about what you are supposed to be doing with your life? Then, stop.
You CAN stop. You can do whatever it is you want to do with your life. You just have to figure out how to change your life to suit what you really want. It probably will not be easy, but is working at a job that constantly makes you envision setting the building on fire so you can be free from cruel and unusual cubicles?
You don't like being a lawyer anymore? Quit. Sell or rent your house, move to a cheap apartment, get rid of all your junk, find a different job. Oh, but I don't want to do that, my house that's chock full of all my stuff is important to me! George Carlin has best explained the human pathological problem with stuff, but in short, your house is nothing but a big pile of shit with a cover on it.
Do me a favor. Right now, look around your room. Look at everything you have in your room. Look at all the stupid shit you've got. Think of how much you spent on everything you can see. Do you need that shit? Can you even find 20 things within your area of vision that you actually need?
I bet you've got plenty of pretty little decorative candles that cost $10 each, that you'd never dream of lighting because they're just so pretty. I bet you've got clothes you haven't worn in at least a year. I bet you've got all kinds of dumb little nicknacks that don't serve a purpose. I bet, if you're a lady, you have fifty different purses, three of which you actually use. I bet you have thousands of free pens, hundreds of which have no ink, but as soon as you pick one up, try to write with it, and discover it has no ink, you stick it right back in the cup you grabbed it from because you can't waste a free pen!
Just stop! Stuff is slavery. You know why you can't leave that job that you hate, that's raising your blood pressure, that's aggravating your ulcer, that's giving you headaches, that keeps you up at night, that's making you wish every second for the sweet release of death so that you wouldn't have to do that god awful job you hate for one single second longer? You can't part with your stuff.
Sure, claim all you want about paying bills and keeping food in your belly, but let's be honest here. Have you never been late on money you knew you owed but didn't pay because you spent that money on some piece of material crap you just had to have when you saw but then you didn't even like it when you got it home anyway? Also, with 70% of Americans being obese, I'd say a few hungry nights might help us all out a bit. Yet, every last one of us has a big pile of shit with a cover on it that we call a home and a horrible job we can't stand to support it.
What a waste of life....
When you're dead, do you think it will really matter how much crap you acquired over your lifetime? Do you think your loved ones are really going to be proud of you for that? If anything, they're going to be pissed at you because as soon as you die, they're going to have to take time off of their meaningless, crappy jobs they hate so they can sort through and take care of all your stuff!
Or worse, do you want your loved ones to remember you as someone who worked so hard that you were never around to give them the love, affection, and attention they desperately needed? All so you could kill yourself in order to provide them this huge pile of shit with a cover on it that they have to sift through after you croak?
When you're lying on your deathbed, looking back at your life, is your bank account and all the stuff you bought with it really going to be on your mind? No. The only thing that will be on your mind is regret for how you wasted the perfectly beautiful privilege of life on stuff, the pursuit of which killed you.
Get rid of what you don't need, acquire only what you do need. Reward yourself only now and then with useless crap. It's fun, but don't let it take over your life.
You CAN stop. You can do whatever it is you want to do with your life. You just have to figure out how to change your life to suit what you really want. It probably will not be easy, but is working at a job that constantly makes you envision setting the building on fire so you can be free from cruel and unusual cubicles?
You don't like being a lawyer anymore? Quit. Sell or rent your house, move to a cheap apartment, get rid of all your junk, find a different job. Oh, but I don't want to do that, my house that's chock full of all my stuff is important to me! George Carlin has best explained the human pathological problem with stuff, but in short, your house is nothing but a big pile of shit with a cover on it.
Do me a favor. Right now, look around your room. Look at everything you have in your room. Look at all the stupid shit you've got. Think of how much you spent on everything you can see. Do you need that shit? Can you even find 20 things within your area of vision that you actually need?
I bet you've got plenty of pretty little decorative candles that cost $10 each, that you'd never dream of lighting because they're just so pretty. I bet you've got clothes you haven't worn in at least a year. I bet you've got all kinds of dumb little nicknacks that don't serve a purpose. I bet, if you're a lady, you have fifty different purses, three of which you actually use. I bet you have thousands of free pens, hundreds of which have no ink, but as soon as you pick one up, try to write with it, and discover it has no ink, you stick it right back in the cup you grabbed it from because you can't waste a free pen!
Just stop! Stuff is slavery. You know why you can't leave that job that you hate, that's raising your blood pressure, that's aggravating your ulcer, that's giving you headaches, that keeps you up at night, that's making you wish every second for the sweet release of death so that you wouldn't have to do that god awful job you hate for one single second longer? You can't part with your stuff.
Sure, claim all you want about paying bills and keeping food in your belly, but let's be honest here. Have you never been late on money you knew you owed but didn't pay because you spent that money on some piece of material crap you just had to have when you saw but then you didn't even like it when you got it home anyway? Also, with 70% of Americans being obese, I'd say a few hungry nights might help us all out a bit. Yet, every last one of us has a big pile of shit with a cover on it that we call a home and a horrible job we can't stand to support it.
What a waste of life....
When you're dead, do you think it will really matter how much crap you acquired over your lifetime? Do you think your loved ones are really going to be proud of you for that? If anything, they're going to be pissed at you because as soon as you die, they're going to have to take time off of their meaningless, crappy jobs they hate so they can sort through and take care of all your stuff!
Or worse, do you want your loved ones to remember you as someone who worked so hard that you were never around to give them the love, affection, and attention they desperately needed? All so you could kill yourself in order to provide them this huge pile of shit with a cover on it that they have to sift through after you croak?
When you're lying on your deathbed, looking back at your life, is your bank account and all the stuff you bought with it really going to be on your mind? No. The only thing that will be on your mind is regret for how you wasted the perfectly beautiful privilege of life on stuff, the pursuit of which killed you.
Get rid of what you don't need, acquire only what you do need. Reward yourself only now and then with useless crap. It's fun, but don't let it take over your life.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
PeachPass
I'm going to take a quick break from my usual topic of employment and share something that I wrote with great passion that deals with government and taxes. I originally created it as a comment on a page that's against PeachPass, which is a new lane on the highway that you have to pay to use. Well anyway, here goes:
Wait, so lemme get this straight. GA wants to save tax payer money and help the environment by charging us money to use a special lane that was built with money we already gave the state....WHAT?! Doesn't the government know that unemployment is over 10% in GA and those of us that are employed are massively overworked, overqualified, underpaid, and underappreciated, and that for a lot of us, every penny really does count? WELL, THEY SHOULD! It's their own stupid Department of "Labor" that calculates this crap and puts it out there to make sure we're all constantly reminded of how bad the economy is. Am I the only one that thinks this is intentional so that we'll all come to accept these increasingly crappier conditions and surrender to a feeling of powerlessness?
This kinda reminds me of the "temporary" toll on 400.
Am I also the only one who's noticed how they just started building new lanes and putting up purple signs without really telling us what was going on at first? But hey, that's our fault for not spending every waking moment reading excessively lengthy documents that are purposely written in a way that obscures meaning and bores people so as to lose everyone's interest so much so that the very politicians who are being called to vote on these things don't even read them? We did away filibustering, but somehow it's still okay to do it as long as it's on paper.
I'm tired of this shit! I'm tired of seeing America elect these fat, bloated, rich, white, male career politicians that don't live in reality and don't give a crap about any of us! Mofos, you are PUBLIC SERVANTS! That means YOU serve US, not the other way around. We are YOUR boss, but you've somehow brought a class action lawsuit against us that ties our hands and removes our ability to fire you.
You wanna talk about the "FREE MARKET?" In what other industry on the planet does the boss make LESS, work twice as many hours, have fewer days off, and crappier benefits, or possibly no benefits, than everyone else in the entire company? Yet, somehow that model works just fine for the government. If any of you were doing any other job than professional fat, bloated white guy you'd be fired and would never hold a job again because your own mama wouldn't even give you a good reference!
We all know this stuff, yet, we've all surrendered to the epic fail that is our government because we see it as an inevitability, and those of us that haven't surrendered are too damn busy working our asses off to support ourselves to fight. Politicians, what is wrong with you? When you were a kid, did you dream of growing up to make America a better place for a living, or did you grow up dreaming of blowing some rich criminal asshole for a living?
FIGHT THE EVIL POWER!
Wait, so lemme get this straight. GA wants to save tax payer money and help the environment by charging us money to use a special lane that was built with money we already gave the state....WHAT?! Doesn't the government know that unemployment is over 10% in GA and those of us that are employed are massively overworked, overqualified, underpaid, and underappreciated, and that for a lot of us, every penny really does count? WELL, THEY SHOULD! It's their own stupid Department of "Labor" that calculates this crap and puts it out there to make sure we're all constantly reminded of how bad the economy is. Am I the only one that thinks this is intentional so that we'll all come to accept these increasingly crappier conditions and surrender to a feeling of powerlessness?
This kinda reminds me of the "temporary" toll on 400.
Am I also the only one who's noticed how they just started building new lanes and putting up purple signs without really telling us what was going on at first? But hey, that's our fault for not spending every waking moment reading excessively lengthy documents that are purposely written in a way that obscures meaning and bores people so as to lose everyone's interest so much so that the very politicians who are being called to vote on these things don't even read them? We did away filibustering, but somehow it's still okay to do it as long as it's on paper.
I'm tired of this shit! I'm tired of seeing America elect these fat, bloated, rich, white, male career politicians that don't live in reality and don't give a crap about any of us! Mofos, you are PUBLIC SERVANTS! That means YOU serve US, not the other way around. We are YOUR boss, but you've somehow brought a class action lawsuit against us that ties our hands and removes our ability to fire you.
You wanna talk about the "FREE MARKET?" In what other industry on the planet does the boss make LESS, work twice as many hours, have fewer days off, and crappier benefits, or possibly no benefits, than everyone else in the entire company? Yet, somehow that model works just fine for the government. If any of you were doing any other job than professional fat, bloated white guy you'd be fired and would never hold a job again because your own mama wouldn't even give you a good reference!
We all know this stuff, yet, we've all surrendered to the epic fail that is our government because we see it as an inevitability, and those of us that haven't surrendered are too damn busy working our asses off to support ourselves to fight. Politicians, what is wrong with you? When you were a kid, did you dream of growing up to make America a better place for a living, or did you grow up dreaming of blowing some rich criminal asshole for a living?
FIGHT THE EVIL POWER!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Update!
As promised, I'll be comin' at ya every Tuesday. The only problem is, I've been so crazy busy that even though technically, it's Wednesday, I am still considering it Tuesday because I haven't gone to bed yet. I want to brag for a second, but also hope to inspire too.
When I was a kid, I fell in love with acting and performing. I participated in the drama club in middle school and was always a member of the advanced production class in high school. Not to toot my own horn, but I've got talent.
Then I went off to college and figured it was time to grow up, get a real job, etc. I studies mass communication (media, basically) and while I really liked it, I always felt a little empty.
After 10 years of tucking my love of acting into a deep crevice of my mind, swearing never to dig it out again for fear of pain and resentment that might stray me from the path of what I thought was mature discipline, I woke up one day and decided to go for it. That day was less less than two months ago. I have since booked four separate, PAID acting jobs. The pay is rather low, as I expected, but I honestly don't care because first, it's experience, and second, IT'S PAID! That's a HUGE deal! I've gotten parts in four out of five auditions that I've attended. That's pretty damn good if I may say so myself. I know that frequency will not likely remain, but I'm still stoked.
Whatever it is you're wanting to do, it's not too late. I know it seems impossible to believe when you're stuck in a depression, but once you put the simplest thing into motion, you'll get what you want. It may come slowly, but it will come. Your brain won't let you forget it. It will nag at you, poke at you, and ask you, "WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU DONE THIS YET?!"
Ask me how I know....because that's what I did for *10* years!
You can't simply dream, you have to DO. Right now, get a piece of paper and a pen or open a blank Word document. Write ONE thing you've always wanted to do. It doesn't have to be some life-altering experience. It can be as simple as going to store that has always looked interesting, but that you've never visited, or reading a certain book, or taking a random art class, or making one phone call to a company you've always been interested in working for. Then do it.
Keep doing it. After you visit that store, read that book. After you finish that book, take that art class. After you take that art class, call that company. You'll condition yourself to say yes to your desires and you'll learn ways to make them happen. You can start making increasingly "harder" goals. It won't be as easy, of course, but what worth having is? Don't believe me? Look at all the obscenely wealthy, yet incredibly vapid losers we all idolize who seem to have everything handed to them by right of birth. Yet somehow, they're miserable, they turn to drugs or other types of thrill seeking, they can't stand the pain of knowing they don't really do anything.
I know, it kinda sounds kooky, like something from The Secret, or one of those other lame self-helpless books, but I'm not claiming anything mythical or mystical....mythistical? Anyway, I am merely suggesting things that you can definitely do, and I'm not basing it off of any defined pseudoscience. These are just simple tasks that anyone with a pen and paper can do.
I know, I know, I know. It's HARD, but think of it the way, you're going to be dead soon. It may seem far off, but it's not. Besides, it could also happen any time, so you have to make the best of your life NOW because when you're dead, it won't matter, even if you do have some kind of spiritual belief about the afterlife. Of course, I'm not here to take that away from you, however, I would love to murder the idea that suffering equals reward. It doesn't. Always keep the Golden Rule. No matter what your beliefs are, if you always consider others, live with passion and goodness, you should still qualify for whatever super-neato, post-mortem experience you subscribe to.
Don't let your "faith" hold you back from anything! Besides, you're not following your faith's rules 100% anyway. More importantly, no belief should get in the way of you doing what you really want...unless your dream is like...stalking some hot celebrity or something. In that case, seek a psychiatrist.
Please, today, right now, this moment, do something that makes you happy, no matter how small.
When I was a kid, I fell in love with acting and performing. I participated in the drama club in middle school and was always a member of the advanced production class in high school. Not to toot my own horn, but I've got talent.
Then I went off to college and figured it was time to grow up, get a real job, etc. I studies mass communication (media, basically) and while I really liked it, I always felt a little empty.
After 10 years of tucking my love of acting into a deep crevice of my mind, swearing never to dig it out again for fear of pain and resentment that might stray me from the path of what I thought was mature discipline, I woke up one day and decided to go for it. That day was less less than two months ago. I have since booked four separate, PAID acting jobs. The pay is rather low, as I expected, but I honestly don't care because first, it's experience, and second, IT'S PAID! That's a HUGE deal! I've gotten parts in four out of five auditions that I've attended. That's pretty damn good if I may say so myself. I know that frequency will not likely remain, but I'm still stoked.
Whatever it is you're wanting to do, it's not too late. I know it seems impossible to believe when you're stuck in a depression, but once you put the simplest thing into motion, you'll get what you want. It may come slowly, but it will come. Your brain won't let you forget it. It will nag at you, poke at you, and ask you, "WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU DONE THIS YET?!"
Ask me how I know....because that's what I did for *10* years!
You can't simply dream, you have to DO. Right now, get a piece of paper and a pen or open a blank Word document. Write ONE thing you've always wanted to do. It doesn't have to be some life-altering experience. It can be as simple as going to store that has always looked interesting, but that you've never visited, or reading a certain book, or taking a random art class, or making one phone call to a company you've always been interested in working for. Then do it.
Keep doing it. After you visit that store, read that book. After you finish that book, take that art class. After you take that art class, call that company. You'll condition yourself to say yes to your desires and you'll learn ways to make them happen. You can start making increasingly "harder" goals. It won't be as easy, of course, but what worth having is? Don't believe me? Look at all the obscenely wealthy, yet incredibly vapid losers we all idolize who seem to have everything handed to them by right of birth. Yet somehow, they're miserable, they turn to drugs or other types of thrill seeking, they can't stand the pain of knowing they don't really do anything.
I know, it kinda sounds kooky, like something from The Secret, or one of those other lame self-helpless books, but I'm not claiming anything mythical or mystical....mythistical? Anyway, I am merely suggesting things that you can definitely do, and I'm not basing it off of any defined pseudoscience. These are just simple tasks that anyone with a pen and paper can do.
I know, I know, I know. It's HARD, but think of it the way, you're going to be dead soon. It may seem far off, but it's not. Besides, it could also happen any time, so you have to make the best of your life NOW because when you're dead, it won't matter, even if you do have some kind of spiritual belief about the afterlife. Of course, I'm not here to take that away from you, however, I would love to murder the idea that suffering equals reward. It doesn't. Always keep the Golden Rule. No matter what your beliefs are, if you always consider others, live with passion and goodness, you should still qualify for whatever super-neato, post-mortem experience you subscribe to.
Don't let your "faith" hold you back from anything! Besides, you're not following your faith's rules 100% anyway. More importantly, no belief should get in the way of you doing what you really want...unless your dream is like...stalking some hot celebrity or something. In that case, seek a psychiatrist.
Please, today, right now, this moment, do something that makes you happy, no matter how small.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sad Clown Syndrome
My whole life, I've dreamt of being an "artist." This is actually well documented in the form of my Those Wonderful School Days book. It asks you your teacher's name, your pets' names, your friends' names, what field trips you went on, and the be all, end all question for kids from kindergarten on up, "When I grow up I want to be_______________________." Let me fill you in on the results:
Kindergarten: An Artist (my mom wrote for me)
1st Grade: An Artist (thanks again, Mom)
2nd Grade: a Artest (my writing has since improved, yes?)
3rd Grade: a famios Artest (fukkin spelling)
4th Grade: an artis of paint (ALMOST THERE!)
5th Grade: An Artist (and in cursive too)
6th Grade: no entry. In middle school they stopped asking that question and so there is no entry for 6th grade. I guess by they figured by the time they hit sixth grade, the little fuckers oughta be gettin' jobs. So, for the next two years, I wrote them in myself.
7th Grade: Artist or Actress
8th Grade: An artist or an actress
Alas, I perjured myself in 4th grade because I have documented proof that I wanted to be a standup comedian in the assigned essay, "All About Me." In fact, I PLANNED on it, according to the essay. While I have always fancied being an artist or actress and my art and acting up were always very well received, the one job that, to this day, has been repeatedly recommended to me is comedian. It is also the one job I continue to fantasize about as a possibility. I don't think I'd have a shot in Hollywood or Broadway and I'm too lazy to market myself as a visual artist.
For years, I've mulled it over. Yet, I've never taken one single step toward accomplishing it. I guess that makes me kind of a big, fat hypocrite for all my GET OUT THERE AND DO IT talk. Oh well, those who can't do, blog.
There are reasons; okay, I'll admit it, excuses. The main excuse is crippling fear of dying pill bottle in hand, head in toilet. When I do decide to conquer this dream, I want to make sure I am mentally and emotionally prepared not to blow my brains out or OD, which is a more difficult prospect than it seems.
Virtually all successful comedians are haunted by an element of darkness. It's a profession with a disproportionately high rate of drug addiction, mental disorders, and suicide. These things are higher than usual in all forms of show biz, but comedians take the biggest hit. Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, John Belushi, Sam Kinnison, Richard Jeni, Greg Giraldo, Mitch Hedberg, Chris Farley, Ray Combs, the list goes on and on. Ever seen an old comedian? George Carlin is the only one that comes to mind and even he struggled with sobriety and suffered three heart attacks, despite being otherwise physically healthy.
This article sums it up best, "Why do comedians do this to themselves? It seems like more than most professions, depression is a prominent condition with comedians. I guess it's the classic sad clown syndrome — the smile is sometimes only painted on. Some comedians seem to have no happiness of their own, aside from the moments when they provide happiness to others. Even in death, especially in the age of the Internet, they can at least rest assured that they are still providing people with happiness."
A consistently busy travel schedule makes it difficult for comedians to form social or romantic relationships, adding isolation to the potentially fatal concoction. Other ingredients include, stress, insomnia, mania, social anxiety, and that beautiful yet crazy mind that only comedians have; that mind that sometimes forces them into comedy because they can't shoehorn themselves into any other role in society. Ingenious, radical thinkers and observers, but sad clowns one and all.
I'm in double trouble because of the idea that "women aren't funny." Plus, being sexually attractive AND funny seem to be mutually exclusive if you're a woman, and the idea of always being seen as hideous has little appeal to me. Name me one good looking, SUCCESSFUL female comedian. Eddie Izzard does not count. On the plus side, there aren't many female comedians who OD'd or blew their brains out.
In short, I don't want to end up dead before I need to. I don't want to become a drug addict. I don't want to flip out and randomly move to Poland. I don't want to be a sad clown. I don't want to be yet another human sacrifice. When I encourage you all to follow your dreams, make things happen, I'm most likely not steering you toward certain death. However, in my case....I suppose it really just makes me a big hypocrite, though I have pursued and accomplished many of my other mini-dreams.
I hate to leave on a downer, so let good ol' Georgie make light of the subject.
Kindergarten: An Artist (my mom wrote for me)
1st Grade: An Artist (thanks again, Mom)
2nd Grade: a Artest (my writing has since improved, yes?)
3rd Grade: a famios Artest (fukkin spelling)
4th Grade: an artis of paint (ALMOST THERE!)
5th Grade: An Artist (and in cursive too)
6th Grade: no entry. In middle school they stopped asking that question and so there is no entry for 6th grade. I guess by they figured by the time they hit sixth grade, the little fuckers oughta be gettin' jobs. So, for the next two years, I wrote them in myself.
7th Grade: Artist or Actress
8th Grade: An artist or an actress
Alas, I perjured myself in 4th grade because I have documented proof that I wanted to be a standup comedian in the assigned essay, "All About Me." In fact, I PLANNED on it, according to the essay. While I have always fancied being an artist or actress and my art and acting up were always very well received, the one job that, to this day, has been repeatedly recommended to me is comedian. It is also the one job I continue to fantasize about as a possibility. I don't think I'd have a shot in Hollywood or Broadway and I'm too lazy to market myself as a visual artist.
For years, I've mulled it over. Yet, I've never taken one single step toward accomplishing it. I guess that makes me kind of a big, fat hypocrite for all my GET OUT THERE AND DO IT talk. Oh well, those who can't do, blog.
There are reasons; okay, I'll admit it, excuses. The main excuse is crippling fear of dying pill bottle in hand, head in toilet. When I do decide to conquer this dream, I want to make sure I am mentally and emotionally prepared not to blow my brains out or OD, which is a more difficult prospect than it seems.
Virtually all successful comedians are haunted by an element of darkness. It's a profession with a disproportionately high rate of drug addiction, mental disorders, and suicide. These things are higher than usual in all forms of show biz, but comedians take the biggest hit. Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, John Belushi, Sam Kinnison, Richard Jeni, Greg Giraldo, Mitch Hedberg, Chris Farley, Ray Combs, the list goes on and on. Ever seen an old comedian? George Carlin is the only one that comes to mind and even he struggled with sobriety and suffered three heart attacks, despite being otherwise physically healthy.
This article sums it up best, "Why do comedians do this to themselves? It seems like more than most professions, depression is a prominent condition with comedians. I guess it's the classic sad clown syndrome — the smile is sometimes only painted on. Some comedians seem to have no happiness of their own, aside from the moments when they provide happiness to others. Even in death, especially in the age of the Internet, they can at least rest assured that they are still providing people with happiness."
A consistently busy travel schedule makes it difficult for comedians to form social or romantic relationships, adding isolation to the potentially fatal concoction. Other ingredients include, stress, insomnia, mania, social anxiety, and that beautiful yet crazy mind that only comedians have; that mind that sometimes forces them into comedy because they can't shoehorn themselves into any other role in society. Ingenious, radical thinkers and observers, but sad clowns one and all.
I'm in double trouble because of the idea that "women aren't funny." Plus, being sexually attractive AND funny seem to be mutually exclusive if you're a woman, and the idea of always being seen as hideous has little appeal to me. Name me one good looking, SUCCESSFUL female comedian. Eddie Izzard does not count. On the plus side, there aren't many female comedians who OD'd or blew their brains out.
In short, I don't want to end up dead before I need to. I don't want to become a drug addict. I don't want to flip out and randomly move to Poland. I don't want to be a sad clown. I don't want to be yet another human sacrifice. When I encourage you all to follow your dreams, make things happen, I'm most likely not steering you toward certain death. However, in my case....I suppose it really just makes me a big hypocrite, though I have pursued and accomplished many of my other mini-dreams.
I hate to leave on a downer, so let good ol' Georgie make light of the subject.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Guinea Pigging
One way to earn a little extra cash is by volunteering as a guinea pig. There are many ranges of guinea pigs, from those who volunteer to undergo dangerous procedures all the way down to paid taste testers. Many people wonder how to become a guinea pig and how much income you can earn from it. Admittedly, this is not my area of expertise, but I'm glad to share what I do know.
Craigslist Yes, Craigslist is full of interesting things, sometimes they are legit, sometimes they are not, but this is your best source for finding paid research gigs of any scale. The most important things to always remember with any ad, be it Craigslist or elsewhere, is never to give or receive money from anyone you don't know, know what you're getting into upfront, and check credentials. If you go to your city's Craigslist, look under "Jobs" and scroll to the bottom where you see "[ETC]." A lot of the offers on this page will be scams, so be vigilant. However, a lot of reputable research companies to use Craigslist because the ads are cheap and it's hard to find any other online outlet.
Universities I am personally fortunate to live in the Atlanta area close to Emory, which is well known for medical and scientific advances. Emory has its own guinea pig service. Check with any universities near you. You may have to really dig on their websites to find it, or they may be on completely different sites. I was lucky enough to be in Piedmont Park at the time when a bunch of students were handing out guinea pig flyers for Emory (btw, NEVER refer to it as guinea pigging to anyone official).
Medical Research Institutes These are best for clinical drug trials. Again, these might be hard to track down. You can certainly use a search engine to find them, but again, don't send or receive any money, don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable, ALWAYS research credentials. Also, try paying attention to radio commercials. Radio is still a very frequently used method of advertising for medical research. These studies are usually well paid, but in return, a lot is expected. The qualification process sometimes takes hours. If you do qualify, you may be expected to take certain medications at very inconvenient times, keep extremely detailed journals, call and check in with the institute at inconvenient times, etc. It's usually nothing excruciating, but several things that are kind of annoying.
Taste Tests These can also be difficult to find. There are a few national, legit companies such as Contract Testing and Focus on Food, but there are also smaller, local research companies that may be a little harder to track down. The least amount of money I've ever accepted has been $35 and the most has been $200. They often pay cash. The only problem with taste tests is usually you either can't participate in them very often because the research companies won't accept people who've participated in studies within a designated time frame, or you have to be comfortable with lying in order to participate. I do not endorse lying to research companies. Such behavior may result in horrible consequences such as the McRib sandwich.
Blood/Plasma "Donations" This isn't truly guinea pigging because there's really no research involved, but some clinics will pay for blood donations, depending on your blood type, or plasma donations. Google is your friend for finding these in your area. Don't be surprised if they're in the more rundown parts of town.
What can I expect to earn?
Unfortunately, I can't really tell you. It depends on what you're testing and how often. As previously stated, the most I've ever earned for one study has been $200 and I usually only do taste tests. I usually only participate in taste tests, at most, every 2-3 months. This is mostly due to research companies' standards. I personally wouldn't say I make more than about $500 a year on it, but again, I shy away from the higher dollar tests that may involve an element of danger.
Anyone embarking on a journey to earn money through guinea pigging does so at her/his own risk. I do not endorse putting your life on the line or doing anything to endanger yourself for extra cash, but it's your life and I assume you're a grownup. This is strictly so you can't sue me by saying I told you to do all this. :P
I can't stress this enough: ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO!
Tune in next Tuesday for more tips, advice, or general blabla.
Craigslist Yes, Craigslist is full of interesting things, sometimes they are legit, sometimes they are not, but this is your best source for finding paid research gigs of any scale. The most important things to always remember with any ad, be it Craigslist or elsewhere, is never to give or receive money from anyone you don't know, know what you're getting into upfront, and check credentials. If you go to your city's Craigslist, look under "Jobs" and scroll to the bottom where you see "[ETC]." A lot of the offers on this page will be scams, so be vigilant. However, a lot of reputable research companies to use Craigslist because the ads are cheap and it's hard to find any other online outlet.
Universities I am personally fortunate to live in the Atlanta area close to Emory, which is well known for medical and scientific advances. Emory has its own guinea pig service. Check with any universities near you. You may have to really dig on their websites to find it, or they may be on completely different sites. I was lucky enough to be in Piedmont Park at the time when a bunch of students were handing out guinea pig flyers for Emory (btw, NEVER refer to it as guinea pigging to anyone official).
Medical Research Institutes These are best for clinical drug trials. Again, these might be hard to track down. You can certainly use a search engine to find them, but again, don't send or receive any money, don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable, ALWAYS research credentials. Also, try paying attention to radio commercials. Radio is still a very frequently used method of advertising for medical research. These studies are usually well paid, but in return, a lot is expected. The qualification process sometimes takes hours. If you do qualify, you may be expected to take certain medications at very inconvenient times, keep extremely detailed journals, call and check in with the institute at inconvenient times, etc. It's usually nothing excruciating, but several things that are kind of annoying.
Taste Tests These can also be difficult to find. There are a few national, legit companies such as Contract Testing and Focus on Food, but there are also smaller, local research companies that may be a little harder to track down. The least amount of money I've ever accepted has been $35 and the most has been $200. They often pay cash. The only problem with taste tests is usually you either can't participate in them very often because the research companies won't accept people who've participated in studies within a designated time frame, or you have to be comfortable with lying in order to participate. I do not endorse lying to research companies. Such behavior may result in horrible consequences such as the McRib sandwich.
Blood/Plasma "Donations" This isn't truly guinea pigging because there's really no research involved, but some clinics will pay for blood donations, depending on your blood type, or plasma donations. Google is your friend for finding these in your area. Don't be surprised if they're in the more rundown parts of town.
What can I expect to earn?
Unfortunately, I can't really tell you. It depends on what you're testing and how often. As previously stated, the most I've ever earned for one study has been $200 and I usually only do taste tests. I usually only participate in taste tests, at most, every 2-3 months. This is mostly due to research companies' standards. I personally wouldn't say I make more than about $500 a year on it, but again, I shy away from the higher dollar tests that may involve an element of danger.
Anyone embarking on a journey to earn money through guinea pigging does so at her/his own risk. I do not endorse putting your life on the line or doing anything to endanger yourself for extra cash, but it's your life and I assume you're a grownup. This is strictly so you can't sue me by saying I told you to do all this. :P
I can't stress this enough: ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO!
Tune in next Tuesday for more tips, advice, or general blabla.
Every Tuesday
So, for anyone who follows this, Tuesday shall be my official job blog day. There may be random entries on other days, but I promise to always update on Tuesday. So, there's that announcement.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Eternal Dumbnations
I'm going to take a momentary departure from my usual YOU CAN DO IT attitude to make one little whiny post.
In general, i like the idea of crowdsourcing, but because one of my goals is to make a living as a writer, I am a little annoyed with it. The problem is, any dumbass can (and many dumbasses do) become writers for many of these crowdsource outlets. The outlets don't check facts and admit they don't and assume no responsibility for misinformation. Many of them don't even really check the quality of the writing. Worst of all, none of them pay SQUAT!
Everyone behind a computer screen THINKS they have writing skills. Perhaps I am guilty of this. I like to think I do have a gift for providing entertaining, engaging prose, but maybe I'm kidding myself. Maybe I'm part of the problem since I'm obviously not part of the solution. Anyway, assuming I DO have some semblance of writing skills and that they're above average, it seems like a talent that is being exponentially devalued by the aforementioned factors.
"Paid" positions are usually through ad revenue sharing, impossible pay per click standards, or painfully low flat fees. I'm doing my best to throw my work in as many places as possible, but none of them have provided enough money to survive for even a day. Perhaps it's all just the "paying dues" phase of writing or perhaps it's just a skill that is becoming evermore obsolete.
I'll still continue to write. I'll always write even if it doesn't pay because it's something I love to do and if I don't do it for a while, I go through withdrawals. However, for the moment, it's frustrating.
Are you a similarly frustrated writer?
Are you a successful writer?
Share your experiences.
Until next time....merf!
In general, i like the idea of crowdsourcing, but because one of my goals is to make a living as a writer, I am a little annoyed with it. The problem is, any dumbass can (and many dumbasses do) become writers for many of these crowdsource outlets. The outlets don't check facts and admit they don't and assume no responsibility for misinformation. Many of them don't even really check the quality of the writing. Worst of all, none of them pay SQUAT!
Everyone behind a computer screen THINKS they have writing skills. Perhaps I am guilty of this. I like to think I do have a gift for providing entertaining, engaging prose, but maybe I'm kidding myself. Maybe I'm part of the problem since I'm obviously not part of the solution. Anyway, assuming I DO have some semblance of writing skills and that they're above average, it seems like a talent that is being exponentially devalued by the aforementioned factors.
"Paid" positions are usually through ad revenue sharing, impossible pay per click standards, or painfully low flat fees. I'm doing my best to throw my work in as many places as possible, but none of them have provided enough money to survive for even a day. Perhaps it's all just the "paying dues" phase of writing or perhaps it's just a skill that is becoming evermore obsolete.
I'll still continue to write. I'll always write even if it doesn't pay because it's something I love to do and if I don't do it for a while, I go through withdrawals. However, for the moment, it's frustrating.
Are you a similarly frustrated writer?
Are you a successful writer?
Share your experiences.
Until next time....merf!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Leapforce
As I continue to search for part time gigs, work at home gigs, money I can find anywhere short of prostitution gigs, I came upon a job ad for Leapforce.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/etc/2602342759.html
Don't worry, you don't have to be in ATL, you just have to be in certain countries depending on the openings. The official job announcements are here:
https://www.leapforceathome.com/qrp/public/jobs/list
Upon writing this, there is only one listing and it's for a job in the US. Yet, previously there have been jobs in other countries as well, so check back often. I've been investigating Leapforce for about a week to make sure it's not a scam. So far, no one credible has claimed it's a scam, although people did have complaints about the way they run their business. A simple Google search for "Leapforce reviews" will show you all you need to know.
So far, it seems like a legit, interesting opportunity. I have already begun the preliminary screening process, which includes a test that they inform you may take up to *EIGHT HOURS* to complete. Needless to say, if it ends up being a scam, I'll be pissed. Luckily, scammers usually don't put that much time into creating so much material because they usually have to dump it pretty quickly.
What's with the eight hour test? My guess is since it's a work at home job, they want to make sure that their applicants aren't a bunch of semi-conscious crack heads. I think they also want to weed out people looking for a quick deal.
I have yet to complete the test because the test comes with a 125 page manual. I decided it would be best to read the manual before starting the test and I'm no speed reader. So far, I've gotten through not quite half of the manual and went ahead and tried to answer a few questions on the test. Luckily, you can go back and correct your answers before submitting the test. I have until next Wednesday to complete it. So, wish me luck and check out the site for yourself if you're looking for opportunities to work at home!
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/etc/2602342759.html
Don't worry, you don't have to be in ATL, you just have to be in certain countries depending on the openings. The official job announcements are here:
https://www.leapforceathome.com/qrp/public/jobs/list
Upon writing this, there is only one listing and it's for a job in the US. Yet, previously there have been jobs in other countries as well, so check back often. I've been investigating Leapforce for about a week to make sure it's not a scam. So far, no one credible has claimed it's a scam, although people did have complaints about the way they run their business. A simple Google search for "Leapforce reviews" will show you all you need to know.
So far, it seems like a legit, interesting opportunity. I have already begun the preliminary screening process, which includes a test that they inform you may take up to *EIGHT HOURS* to complete. Needless to say, if it ends up being a scam, I'll be pissed. Luckily, scammers usually don't put that much time into creating so much material because they usually have to dump it pretty quickly.
What's with the eight hour test? My guess is since it's a work at home job, they want to make sure that their applicants aren't a bunch of semi-conscious crack heads. I think they also want to weed out people looking for a quick deal.
I have yet to complete the test because the test comes with a 125 page manual. I decided it would be best to read the manual before starting the test and I'm no speed reader. So far, I've gotten through not quite half of the manual and went ahead and tried to answer a few questions on the test. Luckily, you can go back and correct your answers before submitting the test. I have until next Wednesday to complete it. So, wish me luck and check out the site for yourself if you're looking for opportunities to work at home!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Scams, Scams, and MORE SCAMS!
I know I just posted about scams, but on a job interview for another part time gig, both of the other interviewees mentioned they had been scammed. Both were advanced fee scams, one of the people didn't fall for it, one person did.
It got started because one of the candidates, there were three of us, said to me, "I hope this isn't going to be a group interview." The other two of us concurred about the unpleasantries of group interviews.
"Plus, they're often a sign of a scam," I added. I did not point out this tidbit in my last post on scams, so now I feel I must. Group interviews are not always a scam, but they are often enough. Scammers are banking on peer pressure in this one. Usually, they take the opportunity to SELL THE DREAM, after which, they ask for an "investment."
Humans are natural mimics. It's not to say any one of us is incapable of thinking for ourselves, but we're social creatures prone to follow others. So, if we see a high pressure sales situation masked as a job proposal and one unfortunate soul falls for it, monkey see, monkey do.
Often during these presentations, when they ask for an investment, the group goes silent. We all KNOW something isn't right. The con artists, er, recruiters, will say some BS about, "Well, who in this room can say their dream isn't worth at least $300?" It remains silent for a few moments more until one check book is removed from a purse or pocket, then like dominoes, the rest follow suit.
I've always wondered if these scammers hire actors to pretend to start writing checks; little surprises me. I also always wonder why no one ever sees me leave then mimics my behavior, but are all too happy to whip out check books the second one other person does it. I can only optimistically hope that eventually, more people leave than stay and pay.
ANYWAY, back to the candidates' scam stories. One was fortunate enough to nip it in the bud. She told us about a check she received which was intended to be a sign up bonus plus a few materials and how she was instructed cash or deposit it, then send the rest back. She noticed the check wasn't quite right because the name of the company ended in, "Contractors," which the scammers erroneously spelled, "Contractros." Maybe some victims didn't notice or thought it was Spanish?
Anyway, she brought the check to the bank and told them, "This is a fraudulent check, what can you do about this?"
They told her, "We can't determine that unless you cash or deposit it."
-facepalm-
Frighteningly, the account information, the name of the company (although spelled incorrectly), the phone number, and the name of the CEO were all correct! She learned this by calling the phone number on the check and being surprised to find the real owner of the account. He told her he was receiving all kinds of mysterious withdrawals from his account and had been working with the fraud department for months. Yikes!
The other interviewee, unfortunately, was a victim of an advance fee scam. After we started talking about scams, she said, "I got scammed once."
"You actually went through with it, or you just noticed it was strange?" I asked.
"No, I fell for it. I had to get a police report and everything."
Turns out the poor gal sent $500 to a stranger who had previously sent her a fake check for much more. So, 3/3 people in the group had some level of experience with scams.
Please, be careful, folks! Look out for the warning signs. Most importantly, NEVER GIVE ANY FORM OF MONEY TO ANYONE YOU DON'T KNOW, PERIOD!
It got started because one of the candidates, there were three of us, said to me, "I hope this isn't going to be a group interview." The other two of us concurred about the unpleasantries of group interviews.
"Plus, they're often a sign of a scam," I added. I did not point out this tidbit in my last post on scams, so now I feel I must. Group interviews are not always a scam, but they are often enough. Scammers are banking on peer pressure in this one. Usually, they take the opportunity to SELL THE DREAM, after which, they ask for an "investment."
Humans are natural mimics. It's not to say any one of us is incapable of thinking for ourselves, but we're social creatures prone to follow others. So, if we see a high pressure sales situation masked as a job proposal and one unfortunate soul falls for it, monkey see, monkey do.
Often during these presentations, when they ask for an investment, the group goes silent. We all KNOW something isn't right. The con artists, er, recruiters, will say some BS about, "Well, who in this room can say their dream isn't worth at least $300?" It remains silent for a few moments more until one check book is removed from a purse or pocket, then like dominoes, the rest follow suit.
I've always wondered if these scammers hire actors to pretend to start writing checks; little surprises me. I also always wonder why no one ever sees me leave then mimics my behavior, but are all too happy to whip out check books the second one other person does it. I can only optimistically hope that eventually, more people leave than stay and pay.
ANYWAY, back to the candidates' scam stories. One was fortunate enough to nip it in the bud. She told us about a check she received which was intended to be a sign up bonus plus a few materials and how she was instructed cash or deposit it, then send the rest back. She noticed the check wasn't quite right because the name of the company ended in, "Contractors," which the scammers erroneously spelled, "Contractros." Maybe some victims didn't notice or thought it was Spanish?
Anyway, she brought the check to the bank and told them, "This is a fraudulent check, what can you do about this?"
They told her, "We can't determine that unless you cash or deposit it."
-facepalm-
Frighteningly, the account information, the name of the company (although spelled incorrectly), the phone number, and the name of the CEO were all correct! She learned this by calling the phone number on the check and being surprised to find the real owner of the account. He told her he was receiving all kinds of mysterious withdrawals from his account and had been working with the fraud department for months. Yikes!
The other interviewee, unfortunately, was a victim of an advance fee scam. After we started talking about scams, she said, "I got scammed once."
"You actually went through with it, or you just noticed it was strange?" I asked.
"No, I fell for it. I had to get a police report and everything."
Turns out the poor gal sent $500 to a stranger who had previously sent her a fake check for much more. So, 3/3 people in the group had some level of experience with scams.
Please, be careful, folks! Look out for the warning signs. Most importantly, NEVER GIVE ANY FORM OF MONEY TO ANYONE YOU DON'T KNOW, PERIOD!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dancing without the Stars
Doing what you want with your life isn't strictly related to career only. Even in hobbies, we procrastinate, make excuses, and envy others doing what we want to do.
Season after season, I see people hopelessly salivating over the Dancing with the Stars, wishing they could somehow be a part of it, or at least that they could dance "like that." Yet, instead of finding a way to make it happen, they blog about it, post Facebook updates about it, and gossip about it at the water cooler, basically continuing their unsatisfying lives as usual. Every time I witness this, I go silently insane with rage.
It's not the gossip, though that drives me batty too. It's not a disagreement of opinion. It's my constant, nagging hatred of seeing people sit around and whine about what they wish they could do, and yet never lift a finger to bring it to reality. Doubtlessly, part of my hatred stems from seeing my former self in these people.
Presently, I have a very active social life, most of which revolves around dancing. I know where I can dance any day of the week. I can go to any dance club or studio and meet friends without even planning to. I've been on two dance performance teams. I've attended numerous weekend long workshops. I'm sketching out creative ways to move my career toward the world of dance.
Yet, a mere two years ago, I had almost no social life. I was one of these envious, lazy bums with my butt parked on the sofa, watching other people live out what I believed were my broken dreams. I became a Dancing with the Stars addict. I loved watching it so much that I would refuse interesting social engagements because I didn't want to miss a single minute of it. Yet, just like any other drug, as much as I loved it, it still made me feel a certain level of pain and disappointment with myself.
I'm not even certain what exactly bonked me on the head, but one day, I said to myself, "This is pretty messed up." That very day, I looked up dance studios, swing classes, salsa classes, ballet classes, and belly dance classes in my city. I posted to my Facebook asking if anyone knew anything about dancing or were interested in learning with me. I called friends and asked them the same thing. I practically told everyone I'd ever met that I was fishing.
It was a little rough at the start. I felt like I was too old to learn, too fat to be graceful, too poor to afford classes, too ugly to find a partner, and too uncoordinated to learn. Admittedly, starting can be tough. I felt out of place in the classes because everyone seemed to be better and more attractive than me. During the socials, few people would ask me to dance, so I worried that I wasn't good enough. There were many times I considered quitting because I didn't want to take any more hits to my self esteem.
It turns out everyone goes through that and, in the salsa world, it's referred to as "salsa hell." A lot of people are just uncomfortable asking people they don't know to dance. It's not that you're hideous and you totally suck. After you make dance a regular hobby, you become a familiar face and a good deal of those issues disappear. Sometimes my insecurities still haunt me, but I have yet to look back.
Whatever your fear, everyone started somewhere and everyone was just like you at some point. There is not a single valid excuse. You are not too old. You are not too fat. You are not too poor. You are not too ugly. You are not too uncoordinated. Dance is a world of true diversity. All shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, ages, sexual preferences and skill levels come together to create a beautiful, stylized version of age-old, ingrained human ritual.
No, you probably will not become a world class ballroom dancer, but you will be doing something other than sitting around watching people do things that you wish you were doing. Being a mere spectator is a waste of life, which we all know is painfully short. What's the use of having dreams if you always stay asleep?
Right now, this second you could be finding places to dance. You could be looking up videos on YouTube or renting DVDs from the library to learn to dance for free. You could be calling a friend and asking them to join you. You could be plastering your desires all over every social media outlet possible.
So, do it! Do it now! Don't even finish reading this. Drop whatever you're doing. There is no moment better than this one to change your life. Stop watching Dancing with the Stars and get up and dance!
Season after season, I see people hopelessly salivating over the Dancing with the Stars, wishing they could somehow be a part of it, or at least that they could dance "like that." Yet, instead of finding a way to make it happen, they blog about it, post Facebook updates about it, and gossip about it at the water cooler, basically continuing their unsatisfying lives as usual. Every time I witness this, I go silently insane with rage.
It's not the gossip, though that drives me batty too. It's not a disagreement of opinion. It's my constant, nagging hatred of seeing people sit around and whine about what they wish they could do, and yet never lift a finger to bring it to reality. Doubtlessly, part of my hatred stems from seeing my former self in these people.
Presently, I have a very active social life, most of which revolves around dancing. I know where I can dance any day of the week. I can go to any dance club or studio and meet friends without even planning to. I've been on two dance performance teams. I've attended numerous weekend long workshops. I'm sketching out creative ways to move my career toward the world of dance.
Yet, a mere two years ago, I had almost no social life. I was one of these envious, lazy bums with my butt parked on the sofa, watching other people live out what I believed were my broken dreams. I became a Dancing with the Stars addict. I loved watching it so much that I would refuse interesting social engagements because I didn't want to miss a single minute of it. Yet, just like any other drug, as much as I loved it, it still made me feel a certain level of pain and disappointment with myself.
I'm not even certain what exactly bonked me on the head, but one day, I said to myself, "This is pretty messed up." That very day, I looked up dance studios, swing classes, salsa classes, ballet classes, and belly dance classes in my city. I posted to my Facebook asking if anyone knew anything about dancing or were interested in learning with me. I called friends and asked them the same thing. I practically told everyone I'd ever met that I was fishing.
It was a little rough at the start. I felt like I was too old to learn, too fat to be graceful, too poor to afford classes, too ugly to find a partner, and too uncoordinated to learn. Admittedly, starting can be tough. I felt out of place in the classes because everyone seemed to be better and more attractive than me. During the socials, few people would ask me to dance, so I worried that I wasn't good enough. There were many times I considered quitting because I didn't want to take any more hits to my self esteem.
It turns out everyone goes through that and, in the salsa world, it's referred to as "salsa hell." A lot of people are just uncomfortable asking people they don't know to dance. It's not that you're hideous and you totally suck. After you make dance a regular hobby, you become a familiar face and a good deal of those issues disappear. Sometimes my insecurities still haunt me, but I have yet to look back.
Whatever your fear, everyone started somewhere and everyone was just like you at some point. There is not a single valid excuse. You are not too old. You are not too fat. You are not too poor. You are not too ugly. You are not too uncoordinated. Dance is a world of true diversity. All shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, ages, sexual preferences and skill levels come together to create a beautiful, stylized version of age-old, ingrained human ritual.
No, you probably will not become a world class ballroom dancer, but you will be doing something other than sitting around watching people do things that you wish you were doing. Being a mere spectator is a waste of life, which we all know is painfully short. What's the use of having dreams if you always stay asleep?
Right now, this second you could be finding places to dance. You could be looking up videos on YouTube or renting DVDs from the library to learn to dance for free. You could be calling a friend and asking them to join you. You could be plastering your desires all over every social media outlet possible.
So, do it! Do it now! Don't even finish reading this. Drop whatever you're doing. There is no moment better than this one to change your life. Stop watching Dancing with the Stars and get up and dance!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Excuses, Excuses
Humans are such great excuse makers. I'm not sure what the evolutionary significance of this trait is, but in any case, we all tend to let this negative ability rule our lives. We can't lose weight because we're old. We can't take on a hobby because we're poor. We can't enrich our relationships with friends because we don't have time. We can't enlighten ourselves because we don't know how (and refuse to learn). Even as I write this blog damning the process, this very second, I am making excuses for not accomplishing other things I really want in my life.
In terms of career, my basic goal is to organize enough small, part-time gigs that I enjoy to amass a full-time income. This mission is easy enough for me because I've always been single and lived modestly. It may be more difficult for many of you out there that are chasing your dreams and have families, nice houses, car payments, etc. The things I'm trying are really meant for me, but I always hope to be able to inspire other people. So, perhaps you might not be able to walk away from your miserable job right away. Perhaps you might not be able to save money. Perhaps you don't have time to take on any more responsibilities.
Sorry to be a brat, but those are all excuses. I know, it's ugly and unpleasant, but I do my best not to bullshit people; there's enough bullshit in this world as it is. Sadly, what most people do the second they hear this, is come up with more excuses. This is far from the first time I've made that statement and every time I make it, I am met with what seems like a battle royale of pseudo-sympathetic excuses. Inevitably, to remove the focus from themselves, people will always politicize the point. "Oh, so, you're saying that it's poor people's fault they're poor? WELL YOU'RE WRONG! If it weren't for this or that political blabla then blabla wouldn't blabla." Never mind that I never said any of what they're assuming.
Alas, we are so good at making excuses for ourselves that we'll even make them for other people to convince ourselves of our own bullshit. Hey, if someone else really can't control their circumstances at all and it's not their own fault, it's possible that my own unhappiness is not my own fault. That's the hideous truth of these defenses. We hate to admit to ourselves that we are in control. We look to faith, we look to government, we look to family, we look to community, we look to give control of our lives to ANYTHING but ourselves to make damn sure we have "good" excuses. It's not me, it's God, it's karma, it's Republicans, it's Obama, it's Sarah Palin, it's my parents, it's my neighbors, it's this girl in my class, it's my teacher, it's glandular. Why the hell would you let any of the above things control YOUR life?
The bottom line is if you want something badly enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. That may mean not sleeping for as many hours, not eating as often, giving up a hobby, cancelling your cable, downgrading your cell phone plan, turning your air conditioner off, line drying your clothes, giving up meat, selling some of your nicer things.
To put it a little better:
I do not know this man personally. I am not a representative of him or his company or anything related to making money off of showing you this. It's valuable advice we can all use.
STOP WITH THE EXCUSES! There are 24 hours in a day. Use them all!
In terms of career, my basic goal is to organize enough small, part-time gigs that I enjoy to amass a full-time income. This mission is easy enough for me because I've always been single and lived modestly. It may be more difficult for many of you out there that are chasing your dreams and have families, nice houses, car payments, etc. The things I'm trying are really meant for me, but I always hope to be able to inspire other people. So, perhaps you might not be able to walk away from your miserable job right away. Perhaps you might not be able to save money. Perhaps you don't have time to take on any more responsibilities.
Sorry to be a brat, but those are all excuses. I know, it's ugly and unpleasant, but I do my best not to bullshit people; there's enough bullshit in this world as it is. Sadly, what most people do the second they hear this, is come up with more excuses. This is far from the first time I've made that statement and every time I make it, I am met with what seems like a battle royale of pseudo-sympathetic excuses. Inevitably, to remove the focus from themselves, people will always politicize the point. "Oh, so, you're saying that it's poor people's fault they're poor? WELL YOU'RE WRONG! If it weren't for this or that political blabla then blabla wouldn't blabla." Never mind that I never said any of what they're assuming.
Alas, we are so good at making excuses for ourselves that we'll even make them for other people to convince ourselves of our own bullshit. Hey, if someone else really can't control their circumstances at all and it's not their own fault, it's possible that my own unhappiness is not my own fault. That's the hideous truth of these defenses. We hate to admit to ourselves that we are in control. We look to faith, we look to government, we look to family, we look to community, we look to give control of our lives to ANYTHING but ourselves to make damn sure we have "good" excuses. It's not me, it's God, it's karma, it's Republicans, it's Obama, it's Sarah Palin, it's my parents, it's my neighbors, it's this girl in my class, it's my teacher, it's glandular. Why the hell would you let any of the above things control YOUR life?
The bottom line is if you want something badly enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get it. That may mean not sleeping for as many hours, not eating as often, giving up a hobby, cancelling your cable, downgrading your cell phone plan, turning your air conditioner off, line drying your clothes, giving up meat, selling some of your nicer things.
To put it a little better:
I do not know this man personally. I am not a representative of him or his company or anything related to making money off of showing you this. It's valuable advice we can all use.
STOP WITH THE EXCUSES! There are 24 hours in a day. Use them all!
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